Tire-tread



I c. L. LANDON.

TIRE TBEAD.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20,1918.

memeuul 12, 1921.

y in

- len distortion when th urr ares CHAUNCEY L. LANDON, OF

RUBBER COMPANY,

TIRE-TREAD.

Application filed. February 29, 1918.

To all w 710m it may concern.

Be it known that l, CHAUNOEY L. LANDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tire-Treads, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to pneumatic tires and has for its general object the ppoduction of a pneumatic tire wherein the liability of premature destruction throng-h separation of the tread and fabric carcass, is efliciently guarded against.

The prevalent practice in the manufacture of a pneumatic tire involves the essential steps of building the fabric carcass; applying the covering strips of rubber, which form the side walls, cushion and tread (the breaker strip being applied in with the cushion) and curing.

When a pneumatic tire is under load a change in the carcass sectional contour is produced and this changed contour varies constantly in each portion of the tire as bumps, ruts, etc, are encountered and passed over.

One of the results of this change in con,- tour 18 a shearing action between the tread strip and fabric carcass. The shearing ac 'tion in a pneumatic tire'under load is most acute in the zones which are located at the outer edges of the side walls and include the edges of the breaker strip.

This shearing action between the tread and carcass frequently starts 'a crack adjacent the edge of the breaker, which gradu ally results in the failure of the tire through destruction of the union between the tread and carcass.

It is the function of the cushion strip a pneumatic tire to guard against disunion or separation between the tread and carcass by taking up through its elasticity,

the shearing action between these elements.

However, while the cushion is usually sufliciently elastic to take up by stretching and without rupture, the shearing action between the fabric and the tread in all other portions of the carcass, it very frequently happens that elasticity of the cushion is not sufiicient to take up, outer portions of the side walls, the shearing action resulting from unusual and sude car is overloaded an unusually severe shock is sustained.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

in the zones at the Serial No. 218,249.

When such a shock comes, the cushion is by the shearing action, stretched in the zone of the breaker strip edge beyond its limit of elasticity and a breaking of the union between the tread and carcass occurs. This rupture develops as the tire continues in service and causes tread separation.

. s a means'for overcoming the foregoing The above and additional objects of a similar nature, which will be hereinafter more specifically treated, may be accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and then. more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference tothe drawings, wherein. there has been illustrated a preferred em bodiment of the invention as it is reduced to practice. and throughout the several views of which, similar reference numbers designate corresponding parts:

Figure 1 is a cross section of a pneumatic tire shown more or less in diagrammatic form and illustrating my improved cushion strip under unflexed conditions;

Fig. 2 is a similar View under flexed conditions; and

Fig. is a section of a partially finished tire.

In illustrating my invention, I have shown a tire of a usual type known as the cord tire but it will, of course, be understood that I have shown this type of tire as merely illustrative of the inveintiom'and that in improvement may be applied to almost any tire of the pneumatic type.

In the drawings, numeral 1 designates the carcass proper, 2 the tread cushion and side wall portions, 3 the breaker strip and 4 the tread portion.

After the carcass has been built. up in my Patented July 12, 1921,.

an unusually elastic mev dium will be present to take up the shear.

5011 each side,

compounded rubber 6 (preferably oi cresbreaker and the carcass, the severe will be of such a degree 'will resume their normal shape.

suitable manner, a gum strip or thin sheet of rubber is ap )lied to the outer surface exu ong from the valley of one bead to the valley of the other head... Suitable side Wall strips 2 applied either in slab form orin small strips, form the next step in the building and the tire is then ready to receive the cushion strip.

It is here I intend to deviate from the usual practice and instead of applying the usual uniform layer, forming the cushion strip, I substitute a. narrow strip hot the required thickness (see-Fig. 3) along the outer circumferential line, then between the outeredges of the side Walls and the strip a. piece of softer or difierent cent shape) is applied with. the flat surface next to the gum strip. Suitable strips of rubber of the same composition as the central. strip 5 are then applied over and adjacent to the strip 6 to bring the general contour and thickness of the cushion proper up to a uniform thickness.

The tire is then finished. in the usual manner and is ready vtor commercial use.

To more distinctly illustrate the -onditi'ons brought about by flexing a tire, i have shown the lines A--. appearing' on the drawings in Fig. 1 in a connected position and in Fig. 2, where the tire is iiexed, the tread portion and breaker strip, being of tough material, do not yield much but only flatten out, the carcass proper being oii'a unity by itself causes a tendency for the two units to pull against each other. This often causes severe strains at ;he ends of the breaker strip, which result in a crack starting and the socalled tread separation resulting. It will be readily seen. that with the two soft cushion strips applied between the strains and a distortion of strip 6 and nature that the 6 will take care of the load, they are eliminated resiliency of the strip the straw and. upon relieving .What I claim'is:

1. In a tire casing, the combination with a tread portion, of a body, portion having a plurality of resilient strips of more elastic composition than ,the tread portion incorporated in. th body of the tire, the strips bemet shaped strips ing entirely located in the half of the tire emliindying the tread.

2. In a tire of the class described, the combination with a tire carcass, of a tread por tion consisting of a tread proper, breaker strip and cushion, and flexible means con sisting of a more elastic composition than. the cushion, interposed between said carcass arid tread portion to flexibly unite them.

1n tire of the class described, the combination with a tire carcass of a tread portion consisting of a tread proper, breaker strip and cushion. a plurality of rubber strips, of a softer and more elasic composi .on than the tread portion or cushion and forming part of the cushion upon mica-11in ing, interposed between said carcass and tread portion to flexibly unite them.

4. In a tire of the class described, the combination with a tire carcass of a tread. portion consisting of tread proper, breaker strip and cushion, a plurality of crescent of rubber of a more elastic composition than the tread portion interposed between the said carcass and tread portions, cass, tflexibly unite them.

5. In a tire of the class described, the combination with a tire carcass of a tread portion consisting of a tread proper, breaker strip and cushion, a pluralityxot' flexible strips of a higher flexibility and elasticity than the rest of the tire, interposed between the said. carcass and tread portions at the points of severest flexing strains to flexibly unite them. i

6. In a tire casing, the combination. with a tire carcass, a breaker strip and cushion, aiid a tread member, of resilient means interposed between. the carca and the breaker strip for so joining the carcass and the breaker strip as to permit oi: a substantially greater yielding of the carcass and tread member along the sides of the breaker strip than elsewhere,

in testimony whereof, l. have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesse CHAUNGEY L. LANDON.

Witnesses R. Tnocnnn, B. J. MoDANnn.

with their bases next to the car-' 

